Crew view

Time is starting to run out on the Crew’s postseason hopes. After a week away from Major League
Soccer action, the Crew played host to New England with a chance to move past the Revolution and
into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Instead, two stoppage-time goals from the visitors
helped send the Crew to eighth place. Of the 15 MLS teams to play at least 20 games, the Crew
(6-9-5) is 11th in goals (23). Fourteen games remain, and each is essentially a must-win.

Home woes

The loss to New England continued what has become an unusual pattern for the Crew. After posting
one of the best home records for the past several years, the Crew now is 3-4-3 at Crew Stadium this
season and has dropped 18 out of 30 possible points from those games.

Formations

After being pleased with his team’s free-flowing offensive approach in a 1-0 victory against
Portland on July 7, coach Robert Warzycha transitioned to what looked like a diamond midfield with
two forwards for the first half against the Revolution. That changed into a more customary 4-4-2
system in the second half, but neither was particularly effective as the Crew generated only two
shots on goal in the loss. Target forward Aaron Schoenfeld, the team’s tallest attacking player,
was deployed on the wing and struggled to make an impact before departing in the first half because
of a shoulder injury.

Playoff picture

Rival Chicago has passed the Crew in the standings and sits seventh, one point ahead, with a
game in hand. The Crew is 16th in the Supporters’ Shield standings, and four of the team’s six
victories have come against the three teams below it. Houston is in fifth place in the Eastern
Conference with 29 points, six points ahead of the Crew. The Dynamo will play host to the Crew on
Aug. 3 in what could be the team’s final chance of starting a playoff push. To reach 53 points —
the total earned by the final team to make the East playoffs last season — the Crew needs 30 points
in its final 14 games (2.14 points a game).

Security blanket

Warzycha is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, and the club can exercise a two-year
option when the season is complete. Team president and general manager Mark McCullers expressed his
support for Warzycha at the midway point of the season, and all indications are that Warzycha’s job
is safe despite a vocal portion of the fan base demanding his resignation.

Digital

5: Number of times the Crew has been shut out this season.

3: Number of times the Crew has been shut out at home.

Quotable

“It’s kind of hard to swallow. Anytime you give up two late goals like that in a game we were in
the whole time, it’s disappointing. We had a bunch of chances that we need to finish, myself
included.” — midfielder Wil Trapp, on the New England loss.